Items tagged with pixel 4
Google Pixel owners, rejoice! Some of the new features that launched exclusively with the Pixel 5 are now rolling out to older devices such as the Pixel 3. These updates will hopefully keep the aging devices fresh as a part of Google’s effort to “make the phone better and better (and better)” with “even more Pixel owners will get to experience our most recent updates.” The first new feature of the bunch rolling out to the Pixel 3 and newer devices is the “Hold For Me” feature. It can save you time if you are put on hold by a business, as it alerts you when someone takes you off hold. Think of this as a robotic “counter-hold” when you need...
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Labor Day is both a time to celebrate the laborer and a rather opportune time for sales. As such, Amazon is celebrating over this 3-day weekend with some sales on tech to get your geek on and some of these deals are pretty great. With kids back in school and work being done from home, a tablet could certainly come in handy for a variety of things, so Samsung has you covered. The first deal we have this weekend is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. This 10.4” device with 64GB of expandable storage and a S-Pen included is sure to help out with productivity. Under the hood, the S6 Lite has 4GB of RAM, an Octa-Core CPU, and a 7,040mAh battery to keep you powered throughout the day. Amazon has...
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Anyone waiting on the Google Pixel 4 to go on sale doesn't have much time left as the device was recently discontinued. Retailers are offering substantial discounts on the Pixel 4 to move stock with Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo offering $250 to $300 discounts on the smartphone. While that's not the lowest price we've ever seen, $250 off a solid phone is nothing to sneeze at. At B&H, the Google Pixel 4 64 GB smartphone is available for $549, a $250 discount off the $799 regular price. The smartphone is offered in Clearly White or Just Black at the same discounted price. The Pixel 4 XL, however, isn't discounted at this time. Google Pixel 4 64 GB at B&H - $250 discount at $549...
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Wireless charging has become commonplace in the smartphone world after first entering the public conscious around the middle of the last decade. The premise is relatively simple: you have a charging pad (or dock) that will recharge your smartphone without the need of plugging your device into a USB-C or Lightning port. You just sit it down to charge, and then walk away. Besides the ease of use, other added benefits are that you don't have to worry about connector breaking off your charging cable, wear and tear on your smartphone's charging port, or debris insider the port affecting charging performance. However, a new report alleges that wireless charging is doing much more harm in the...
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Well, it has been a remarkably short run for Google's Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones, as the company confirmed this morning that both Qualcomm Snapdragon 855-powered devices have been discontinued. This is frankly an odd move from Google considering that the previous Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 flagships were on sale for roughly 18 months following their introduction -- the Pixel 4/Pixel 4 XL are being given the boot after less than a year. Google's actions are even more perplexing given that the replacement for the Pixel 4 series -- the Pixel 5 -- hasn't even been officially revealed, and is on track to arrive in the fall. “Google Store has sold through its inventory and...
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When you spend top dollar on a flagship smartphone, you not only expect premium build quality, but also that the device will give you at least a few trouble-free years of use. However, this isn't the case for some Google Pixel 4 XL owners that are reporting a rather alarming design flaw with their devices. First brought to our attention by the folks over at Android Police, the back glass panel on some Pixel 4 XL devices are starting to separate from the phone's chassis. For those not familiar with the Pixel 4 XL, like many smartphones that have wireless charging capabilities, the back panel is glued into place. For whatever reason, the glue is starting to fail on these phones, which is causing...
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Had the Coronavirus pandemic never occurred, Google would be getting ready to release its Android 11 Beta 1 release tomorrow, as originally planned. That's not going to happen—the launch event has been postponed without a followup date, so for the time being, the Android 11 Preview 4 build is the latest one. Well, for most people. Pixel 4 owners are apparently the exception. As spotted by XDA-Developers, the Android 11 Beta 1 build (RPB1.200504.018) has found its way to some Pixel 4 phones as a 736MB download, and with it comes a glimpse of some upcoming features, changes, and improvements that Google is currently working on for the final release. One of the improvements involves the Quick...
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Google hasn’t didn’t exactly have the hit it expected when it launched the Pixel 4 family late last year. As the latest in its line of flagship Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 4 promised a high-performing Snapdragon 855 SoC, vibrant 90Hz OLED display, facial recognition technology, and a new camera system. However, according to a fresh reporting by The Information, there was a lot of turmoil going on behind the scenes during the development of the Pixel 4, and even recently as the launches of the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 loom. Before the Pixel 4 even launched to the public, Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh reportedly had misgivings about the device, especially with regards to its...
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A recent round of discounts has brought the Pixel 4 down to the lowest price we've ever seen—starting at $499 for the regular Pixel 4 with 64GB of built-in memory, compared to its $799 launch price. It's a heck of a deal, but imagine receiving 10 of them for the price of one. It actually happened to someone, as the apparent result of an order fulfillment blunder on Google's end. A box of 10 Pixel 4 handsets is worth $4,999 at the going rate, and $7,999 based on the non-discounted price. So, the lucky fellow who received the unexpected windfall ended up with $4,500 worth of additional merchandise that he was not expecting. Talk about luck, though Google is really the fortunate one, because...
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The Google Pixel 4 family of smartphones have been on the market since the fall of 2019, which means that the discounts are starting to pile up on these Android flagships. Both the Pixel 4 and its larger Pixel 4 XL sibling were near the top of the class when they debuted, and are still very competitive devices despite the arrival of new stars like the LG V60 ThinQ and Samsung Galaxy S20. The latest round of discounts brings the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL down to prices that we've never seen before for unlocked models. In the case of the Pixel 4, it's now priced at just $499 (compared to the previous low of $549), while the Pixel 4 XL will set you back just $100 more at $599. Both of...
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Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL users have a new April security update that began rolling out this week which brings a range of patches and fixes, and one new feature that users will appreciate. Notes for the April security patch talk about fixes for Bluetooth and keyboard lag. However, the most anticipated portion of the update is the "eyes open" requirement for Pixel 4 face unlock. The eyes open requirement for face unlock was first seen in Android 11 Developer Preview 2. Pixel 4 users first discovered shortly after the device's launch late last year that the face unlock feature would function even if the user's eyes were closed. That was a big problem for many, because it meant that anyone...
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The first smartphones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC are just now hitting the market here in the United States, which means that now is the time to score some great deals on last year's Snapdragon 855 flagships. Yesterday, we saw a deal on the Samsung Galaxy S10+, and today we've got deals on the Google Pixel 4/Pixel 4 XL. Online retail giant Amazon is discounting both smartphones by hundreds of dollars, with the Pixel 4 (64GB) coming in at just $549, which is down from its normal price of $799. The Pixel 4 is available at this price in both Clearly White and Just Black colors. Stepping up to the 128GB version of the Pixel 4 raises the price by $100 to $649. If you want the...
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Not long after the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL launched back in November 2019, it was revealed that the smartphones' face unlock facial recognition system could unlock your device even if your eyes were open. This is a step back in security compared to Apple iPhone's Face ID, which requires your eyes to be open and focused on the phone’s display to unlock [this feature is also on by default on iPhones]. Needless to say, this security lapse would allow someone with access to your phone to unlock it if you were sleeping, unconscious, or even dead. Google responded that it would work diligently to improve its face unlock feature, and provided the following statement...
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Yesterday Google launched the March security update for its Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL users. The update had two builds offered with one of them specifically for AT&T users. However, the AT&T version of the update had a flaw in it that has led to Google pulling the update for those users. There has been no official reason for the update having been pulled, and the rollout for AT&T users paused. While Google and AT&T aren’t giving any details on why the update was removed, some users are coming forward on reddit that say after the update was applied to their Pixel 4 devices, Google Pay was broken. Word is that Google Pay was broken because Google hadn’t properly certified...
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Google recently launched the first Android 11 Developer Preview, and code sleuths are quickly scouring through the OS to see what new features await users. While Google announced a number of new features coming to Android 11 earlier this week (including better support for 5G phones and folding displays), some new ones have been uncovered including double tap gestures for Pixel smartphones. The gesture system was developed under the codename "Columbus" and is initiated by double-tapping on the back of the smartphone. Right now, these are the double tap gestures that are currently available with Columbus according to XDA-Developers: Dismiss timer Launch camera Launch Google Assistant...
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A new report is claiming that Verizon is very unhappy with the current deal it has in place with Google to sell Pixel smartphones. The Pixel series of devices hasn't been a strong seller for Verizon, according to reports. A source claiming knowledge of the carrier's plans says that Verizon has put any plans to sell new Google Pixel smartphones on hold. The source gave no specific reason why Verizon was canceling the deal, but the sales issue is the leading assumption. The source, cited by Android Police, said that the chance of the rumored Pixel 4a coming to Verizon is zero. The source claims it's far too late for Verizon to change its mind on that device at this point. There is a chance,...
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A breakdown of the underlying code in the latest version of Google's dialer application (called "Phone") suggests that native call recording is headed to Pixel handsets (and perhaps Android One devices). Previous versions of the dialer hinted at the functionality, but with the release of version 44, it now seems like a foregone conclusion. This is an interesting feature with obvious privacy implications. There is also the legal angle to consider. For example, it is illegal to record a phone call in California without "two-party consent," meaning the person on the other end of the line must agree to be recorded. This is outlined in California Penal Code 632. How does Google get around this? According...
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Anyone in the market for a premium Android smartphone with one of the best cameras on the market will want to check out the deals Amazon has going on the Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL (our full review) this weekend. We've seen more substantial discounts off the MSRP, but right now, there's a discount and a $200 gift card in the mix, making these some of the best deals overall for these devices that we've seen yet. Amazon is offering the Google Pixel 4 with 64GB of internal storage unlocked for $699 currently. Amazon says that is an $80.89 discount. On top of that discount, you also get a $200 gift card to buy whatever you want on Amazon. It's almost like getting a smartphone...
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Google's Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are among the best Android smartphones that you can buy these days, which is why we're always on the lookout when they go on sale. Over the past few months, we've seen excellent deals from retailers like Best Buy and Amazon, and even straight from Google via its Google Fi MVNO service. During Black Friday, Amazon was selling the Pixel 4 for just $599, which was $200 off its regular price tag. Today, however, the discounts keep rolling as the Pixel 4 in Clearly White can now be had for just $571. If you want Just Black, you'll just pay a dollar more. Unfortunately, Oh So Orange is currently out of stock at Amazon, although we'll update this piece if it reappears...
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The Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL were two of the surprise smartphone hits of the 2019, taking much of the design (and camera) prowess of the Pixel 3, but wrapping it in a plastic body with a mid-range CPU at a much lower price. Given that not everyone needs flagship-caliber hardware (or the price tag that is associated with it), the smartphones became hot sellers. Google is looking to follow-up on that Pixel 3a success with the Pixel 4a, and the first alleged renders of the smartphone have been revealed. They come courtesy of OnLeaks and 91mobiles, and are reportedly based CAD leaks. They show a chassis design that looks like a mashup of the current Pixel 3a and the Pixel 4....
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Google is pushing out its first "Pixel feature drop" to Pixel 4 XL and and Pixel 4 owners, and with comes a handful of new features and improved capabilities, such as better facial recognition when using your mug to unlock your handset. What exactly is a Pixel feature drop, though, and how does it differ from Google's regular updates? Well, Google seems to be taking a page from Microsoft (sort of) with how it keeps its latest generation Pixel handsets updated. With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft committed to pushing out major feature updates twice annually, in addition to its usual monthly security patches (and out of cadence emergency patches for zero-day threats, as necessary). Google's...
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The Pixel 4 family is famous for its strong support from Google. Google tends to support the devices with three years of major Android OS, along with feature/security updates, which is much better than we typically expect from other Android OEMs. Google is now introducing a new category of updates for its Pixel devices, and it is calling it a "feature drop". Google says that feature drops bring bigger and more impactful updates than the typical security updates and bug fixes, and will come "on a regular basis." The first feature drop is coming later this month and includes a handful of new features for Pixel users. One of the most prominent additions is the ability for the Google Assistant to...
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